IHC stays collection of over Rs50b in ad revenue by PEMRA

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Monday granted a stay on the collection of over Rs50 billion Annual Gross Advertisement Revenue by the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) from television channels.

The Pakistan Broadcasters Association (PBA) had approached the high court requesting to declare that Annual Gross Advertisement Revenue imposed by Schedule-B to the PEMRA Rules, 2009, was ultra vires to the Constitution, the PEMRA Ordinance, 2002, PEMRA Rules, 2009, without jurisdiction, illegal and of no legal effect.

PBA and others filed a writ petition in the IHC through Advocate Faisal Siddiqi.

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The petitions further requested the IHC to declare that any action taken by PEMRA to impose and recover the revenue, including but not limited to, in pursuant of Schedule-B to the PEMRA Rules, 2009, is without jurisdiction, illegal and of no legal effect.

"Permanently restrain the Respondent No.1 [PEMRA] from taking any adverse and/or coercive action against the Petitioners No.2 to 9 and other members of the Petitioner No.1, in relation to the imposition and recovery of Annual Gross Advertisement Revenue including but not limited to, in pursuant of Schedule-B to the PEMRA Rules, 2009", it is further prayed.